Looks like we won't have Allen County's merry prankster of politics to kick around this year:
A nickname has cost perennial candidate Dave Roach a spot on the May 8 primary ballot, handing the Democrat Party nomination for Allen County Commissioner to retired firefighter Gordon Anthony.
“A candidate’s nickname (on the ballot) is supposed to be a name by which they are commonly known,” Director of Elections Beth Dlug said, explaining why the Election Board last week ruled the nickname Roach included in his filing application – “Legalize Marijuana” – to be invalid.
[. . .]
Dlug said the board acted in response to a Republican challenge to Roach’s nickname. County GOP Party Chairman Steve Shine told The News-Sentinel last month he considered Roach’s unusual ballot identification to be a political statement, not a true nickname. “That was intended for things like ‘Bob,’ ” he said.
Not sure why Shine did that. Someone running as "legalize Marijuana" doesn't exactly make the Democrats look good, you know? And Roach can't use the occasion of a political contest to make a political statement? Hmmmm.
